Detective Matthew Gale, a 15-year veteran assigned to the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, and Nassau County resident, walked out of Kings County Hospital surrounded by his family, fellow officers, and medical staff on Wednesday, June 24, the NYPD announced.
Photos shared by the NYPD showed Gale smiling as he left the hospital while fellow officers applauded his recovery.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe created by teammates at Wind Jiu-Jitsu has raised more than $3,300 toward a $6,000 goal to help Gale's family with living expenses and recovery costs.
"Our Wind Jiu-Jitsu family is coming together to support one of our own," organizers wrote. "Anyone who knows Matt knows his strength, humility, and dedication—both as a detective and as a teammate on the mats. He has always been there for others, and now it's our turn to be there for him."
The fundraiser says every donation will help the Gale family focus on his recovery.
Gale was shot in the left leg during a barricaded gunman incident on Kosciuszko Street in Brooklyn on Friday, June 19, police said.
Officers responded around 5:45 a.m. after a neighbor reported hearing about seven gunshots inside a two-story brownstone, Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
When patrol officers arrived, they heard more gunfire from inside and encountered an armed man before backing out and calling for specialized units, Tisch said.
The suspect's wife and son escaped safely, but an elderly couple remained trapped on the second floor while officers spent more than two hours trying to negotiate with the gunman, Tisch said.
The man continued firing from inside the home and later emerged armed when Emergency Service Unit officers entered around 8:52 a.m., Tisch said.
Despite repeated commands to drop his weapon, the suspect opened fire, striking Gale in the left leg and fracturing his tibia. At least four officers returned fire, killing the gunman, Tisch said.
Lamin Simmons, 48, was later identified as the suspect by the police. Investigators believe the incident began as a dispute involving the elderly couple living upstairs, Tisch said.
Two handguns—a Beretta equipped with an extended magazine and a Jimenez Arms .380-caliber pistol—were recovered at the scene, police said.
"When New Yorkers call 9-1-1, they expect someone to show up," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. "What Detective Matthew Gale did that morning is what so many officers do every day. He put on his uniform, said goodbye to his family, and went to work to keep our city safe."
The Nassau County Police Benevolent Association also wished Gale "a swift and full recovery," noting that his brother serves as a representative for the organization.
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